The Tragedy of Errors
by kwayland
Summary: Klaus/Caroline. Klaus has been made human by the cure and barely escaped Katherine alive. Will he be able to cope with his diminished power? And how will it ultimately effect his life and his relationship with Caroline? I still suck at summaries. R
1. Chapter 1

*I know I'm lame. I don't have a huge desire to finish my other stories and I can't promise I'll finish this one either. I know it's been many months but I haven't had a ton of time. I still love all of you devoted fans out there and I hope you enjoy this story. I know I'm having fun writing it. More fun than I ever did with any of the others. So give it a chance. I can't decide if I should delete some of my other stories either so if you still want them up fight for them because I'm seriously considering it. You guys are the best and I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do.

I couldn't breathe. An odd tingling sensation swept through my entire body and I could feel it fighting against my very bones much like a crippling disease. It wasn't painful but I was screaming anyways. I could vaguely feel the fluttering anxious hands of a women grasping my shoulders, my face, trying to calm me down. But there was no hope. I knew I was becoming human. I could still remember Katherine flitting in and out of my vision before catching me by surprise and practically shoving the entire vial cure and all down my throat. After that everything was fuzzy. Caroline and Elijah and Rebekah had been here as well but I couldn't recall why. All I knew was that the plan was supposed to include my cold hard body lying in a grave somewhere without a marker. I wish that was how it had turned out.

I felt my body releasing the tension and my vision was miraculously coming back into focus. Caroline had both her hands on either side of my shoulders. She was keeping her distance but still managing to hold me up. I couldn't help leaning into her shoulder and breathing in her light fruity aroma. Her hands built up resistance and began pushing me away but eventually she relaxed and let me slump against her.

"What happened?" I groaned into her shoulder, "Besides me being human right now."

"I couldn't say. I was coming...nevermind. I didn't arrive early enough. Katherine had already given you the cure and Elijah had her pinned up against a wall. But she escaped his grasp and Rebekah was just collapsed against a wall sobbing into her hands. So I ripped out her heart. I killed Katherine. I killed her," she trailed off, her gaze becoming distant.

"To save me?" I smiled.

She slipped me off her shoulder and I managed to keep myself up. "Who knows why. I just reacted. And Katherine and you deserve to be alive about the same amount so it was you or her. And I guess at the low of a bar, yes I chose to save you."

"I wish you wouldn't have," I mumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm human!" I yelled ferociously, shooting up, my legs barely holding me. There was hardly any strength in them. I would no longer be able to rip hearts out, break necks like humans snap pencils, get places practically instantly, or feed on people just for the heck of it. I wasn't dangerous anymore. I couldn't...I couldn't protect myself anymore. I had a death sentence and too many enemies. "I can't be human, okay! I just can't."

Caroline said nothing but I could tell she was in deep thought by the way she clasped her hands in her lap and fixated on them with cinched eyes. Then she whispered, "I know. But you won't ever be a hybrid again. And probably not an Original either."

"Kill me."

"Klaus, no. There are a million things worth living for and I won't ruin that for you. There's amazing cities and beautiful art and music."

"This is the exact same speech I gave you."

"Your right, it is. But I think it's just as valid."

"I've seen it all, Caroline."

"No you haven't," she insisted. "The world is always changing and new pieces of art are always being made by people just as talented and just as creative. Just think, you could have a family, grow old, have a job. You could have a normal life."

"But I can't. There are too many people who want my head on a stake. And I don't know how to not be terrifying. How to not be evil, as you would put it."

"But don't you see," she pleaded. "This is your chance. You can be fixed."

I sighed and placed my hands on each of her cheeks, caressing them gently. More gently then I ever had before. "I don't want a family. I don't want to grow old. I don't want to be fixed or be anything but what I've always been."

"You lived for centuries simply as a vampire. Don't you think you could do that again?"

"Even then, I was one of the most powerful creatures on earth. Becoming a new vampire now wouldn't be the same. Not even close."

She placed one of her hands over mine to soften the blow of her words. "I'm not going to end you. You'll have to do it yourself and I'm sensing you won't be able to. So you're just going to have to suck it up and make a decision about your future. Don't run, Klaus. It's not you."

"Why do you want me to stay?"

"I'm not killing two people in a day. And hopefully I'll never kill anyone ever again. And because I think you need to learn that not everything in life goes your way and you just have to avoid the blows as best you can."

She was right, I wasn't a runner. I still hadn't gotten her and I still hadn't reconciled with my family. But I wasn't doing it as a human.

"Turn me, then."

She didn't say a word but cut open her wrist with her teeth and settled it just below my mouth where I could easily reach. I slurped it up without question but almost gagged at the intense smell and taste of rust. Blood was bloody nasty.

"Are you sure?" she murmured.

"Just do it, love." There was a second of excruciating pain and then the lights were out.

I came to and she was still there by his side, but turned away talking to Elijah and Rebekah. They were both standing and ominously towering over me as though I was a sticker in their finger.

"How are you feeling," Elijah asked.

"I'm very used to being a vampire so I'm not having any trouble. I could eat a couple of people though."

Elijah rolled his eyes but Rebekah was only too happy to oblige. "I've got two already out back, but you have to promise to share."

Rebekah was stronger than me and it was like she was inadvertently trying to prove it. I was in no position to be a dick so I stuck out my hand and said, "Deal." Rebekah tugged me from the floor and led me to the backyard, and it was only then that I realized this was the Salvatore house.

"Where are the Salvatore's?"

"Doing what they do best. Protecting Elena. Right when they heard Katherine was in town they mounted an entire search party but she completely circumvented them. Probably because she was expecting it. Caroline called them and brought them up to date so they're probably moaning in their self pity as we speak."

"And we're all going to be here when they show up?"

"No. We're leaving right after this snack. You could zip home like the rest of us or Caroline offered to give you a ride in her car, but on a condition."

"And what's that?" I sighed.

"You don't flirt or try and impress her. You just sit in the passenger seat and talk about boring small talkish sort of things until you're at home."

"Until I'm at home?"

"That's what she said."

I smiled and rustled Rebekah's hair, something I hadn't done in ages. But she hadn't had to have told me the last bit that included a loophole in which I could...flirt? It sounded childish when put that way. I simply wanted to show her how I felt about her and hope that one day it would be enough for her to reciprocate the feelings.

I was pulled out of my reverie by the sound of pierced skin and the squelsh of teeth hitting flesh. Rebekah sipped just a smidgen before offering a young woman up to me. I hungrily dug in and sucked her dry in little less than a minute when Rebekah shoved the last half of another young woman at me to finish off.

"Been upset with brunette women lately?" I questioned, gazing down at the two women flung carelessly on the ground, small pools of blood dribbling from their neck, the dark long brown hair covering a majority of their face.

"They're supposed to all resemble Katherine."

I nodded and walked back to the house shoulder to shoulder with Rebekah.

"You know," she began in a whisper, "I didn't wish this on you Klaus. Sure, I wanted to become human so I'm slightly bitter about that, but I know how much you're about to internally combust right now. And you're still my brother, and I still love you, so don't internally combust, okay?"

I chortled half-heartedly before saying, "Sure, love. I'll try."

It wasn't long after I was slouched in Caroline's car who was driving me through the darkened streets dotted with pools of light towards my mansion. Neither of us were saying a word. She looked afraid to begin a conversation and I was moping about my sad predicament. I'd only done everything I'd ever done simply to protect myself and now I had no means in which to do so. And I wasn't super into the idea of other people doing the job for me. I shuddered, and stopped my mind from going there by glancing over at Caroline and sopping up her radiant beauty. I just wanted to reach over and brush away a loose curl from her face or brush her cheek with the back of my hand to wipe away the tiredness. But that would be flirting. Plus, she was in a different world, in her happy place, judging by the grotesquely growing smile. Apparently, I wasn't a part of her happy place.

"What are you thinking about?"

She started, and grimaced at me. "Nothing. You don't want to know."

"You'd be surprised. Try me."

"Tyler."

I clenched my teeth and turned away. "Okay. You were right. I didn't want to know. Guess I should've seen that coming. What about him?" I asked, strangely curious.

"Klaus..." she chastised. "Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to."

I pulled my puppy dog face out of the deepest chasm in my brain and just stared at her.

"He can come back," she murmured. "You can't hurt him anymore."

"Oh yes I could," I grumbled darkly.

"He's stronger than you."

I said nothing, knowing I wouldn't have a defendable answer to how I could kill him but I knew for sure I would be able to when I saw his cowardly face. I could tell she saw the determination written on my face for she sighed deeply and focused her attention back out the windshield.

We arrived and I flung open the car door and marched over to her side of the car and tapped the window. She grudgingly rolled it down and scowled at me.

"Couldn't you have done this in the car?"

"It was stuffy in there. I needed some air."

"What do you want?"

"I just wanted to say thank you for the ride," I breathed, brushing her cheekbone lightly with two fingers.

"Didn't Rebekah..."

"Yes, of course. There was a slight loophole in your wording, besides I couldn't resist. I've wanted to touch you all evening and thank you for saving my life. I realize that I wasn't super ecstatic about being saved but you chose me over someone and that means a lot."

"I think you're putting too much stock in the situation."

"Maybe so. Allow me to hope?"

"It's a free country," she said in answer. Then she rolled her window up and with a sarcastic wave pulled back into the street leaving me completely alone in my driveway wishing I'd had the gall to ask her in for a drink. Even if she'd said no she would've felt guilty about it. And the more guilty she felt the better chance he had of getting into her head and flip flopping her feeling for Tyler for him.

Rebekah saw me lumber in with my head down and she gave my shoulder a quick massage. "Don't patronize her brother. She'll never like you."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Be someone different," she stated matter-of-factly.

I couldn't.


	2. Chapter 2

I heard Rebekah's feathery footsteps running up the stairs and the clink of ice against glass along with it. She entered my room in a bright red sundress and placed the drink down on my desk layered in artwork.

"What's that for?"

"I know you don't want pity but I can't help it. Besides, you've been more my brother in the past couple of hours then you've ever been in years."

"Thank you," I said to her for the first time in recent memory.

"And..." she stuttered, unsure whether she should continue down the path she was on.

"What?"

"Caroline's here," she whispered, "with Tyler. He got back earlier this morning. I was supposed to come fetch you but I wasn't sure you'd...she wants you two to sort out your differences."

"She thinks we can?" I laughed sardonically.

"Do what you want, Niklaus. But I can guarantee you it'll matter a shit-ton to her."

I downed the drink she brought me and put a hand on her shoulder. "The drink was a marvelous idea." I took my sweet time strolling down the hall and the stairs to the living room where I saw Caroline leaning her head against Tyler's shoulder as they were staring out the window. I didn't utter a word or even breath. I took time to let them standing together, picturesque, and seemingly desperately in love like they'd never been separated, sink in. I wasn't going to crack. Not in front of Caroline or Tyler. I wasn't sure it would be a winning battle.

"Tyler," I said pleasantly, "How lovely to see you again."

"Klaus," he growled, absentmindedly but gently shoving Caroline a couple of inches behind him.

"I won't hurt her," I laughed, putting my hand up in innocence. "Nor will I hurt you." I attempted to maintain the same politeness, but I couldn't help a hint of gravel and a lowering in tone when I uttered those words.

Tyler glared at me suspiciously but Caroline half-smiled and floated over to me. "Thank you, Klaus. Thank you," she whispered. She briefly took my hand and gave it an abrupt tight squeeze before going back for Tyler and strung her arms around his neck.

"Let's go, Tyler. How about a movie or something? Or we could go visit Matt."

"No. I'm not done with him yet."

A churlish grin, much like the cat from the odd movie about a girl falling through a rabbit hole, spread and consumed my brain. From the vast knowledge I'd gained from observation of Caroline, I knew any sort of escalation would not be acceptable. And for once, it wasn't me escalating.

"Tyler," she sighed, "Seriously?"

"He sent me away from you, Caroline! And I'm not even sure it was because he actually was upset about his hybrids! He just wanted to do you. No," he shook his head mockingly, "We are so not done."

"Don't you trust me?" she murmured.

"Of course, but..."

"No buts, Tyler! I wouldn't let Klaus have sex with me or even give me a quick peck on the cheek while I'm still in love with you. No way in hell! And I do love you. I really do. So why do you insist anything would've happened?"

"I'm more upset about his intentions," Tyler said.

"You tried to kill him using his own loyal creations that in some sick way I'm positive he cared for. I can understand why he was upset. And now he's forgiving you so can we please go and move on?"

Tyler shrugged Caroline's hand off his arm and got right into my face. I assumed I looked smug because that's how I felt. I had already won this battle, and I was fighting, without even making a move. "I heard," he smiled, "that you're just a pathetic little bloodsucker now? Newly turned too."

I returned the smile and patted Tyler slowly on the face three times. "Mmm, yes. But not every battle is won with strength, grasshopper. You need a good set of brains, too. And I believe in that category I smoke you. Is that the proper term?"

Tyler balled his fist and swung it directly at my nose. Anticipating the attack judging by Tyler's previous infractions, I caught his hand and twisted.

"Caroline, love, I suggest you escort your boyfriend off my property before I change my mind."

"Love? See I hate that. Why do you call her love?"

"I call everyone love, love."

Caroline slipped up behind Tyler while he was fuming inches from my face like some balloon set over fire seconds from popping, and snapped his neck.

"So not helpful, Klaus."

"What? Me?" I said, faking an innocent expression, "I didn't do a thing. He just overreacted."

I expected Caroline to hit me, or at least glare at me, but she gazed down at Tyler with a unpleased disposition. "You're right. I'll talk some sense into him."

"Lovely."

Caroline choked out a short laugh which progressively got louder and longer until she was laughing so hard she was short of breath.

"What?" I half laughed along with her, unsure what she even thought was funny.

"Nothing about this situation is "lovely"," she coughed, in a really crappy British accent.

"That was awful," I beamed.

"It was, wasn't it?" Then she mellowed down and lugged Tyler off the floor. "I should get him home."

"Of course. Would you like assistance?"

"Nah, I'm good. I'm still worried you'll rip out his heart."

"He would be easier to deal with," I muttered, "Without a heart."

"I heard that," Caroline called from the doorway. "And you know I'm not entirely sure Tyler didn't have a point."

"About what?"

"Your intentions."

Then Caroline walked out, but not arm in arm with Tyler but carrying him. And not with a laugh but with an almost unnoticeable glance of disgust at the body she was carrying. I smirked to myself beyond happy with the way that had turned out considering how nervous I was the moment Rebekah mentioned Caroline wanted us to talk. Turns out I hadn't been the biggest ego in the room.


	3. Chapter 3

I cracked open my eyes the next morning and leapt out of bed, tugging of my clothes to take a shower. I wasn't the type to sing or hum but I couldn't help uttering a couple of notes every now and then while the water was running over my head and down my back. It was almost as warm and comforting as Caroline's smile directed at me the day before while her boyfriend was lying on the floor with a broken neck. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been filled with such hope. Maybe back at the last Mystic Falls dance, but nothing had ever come of it. I had a feeling that this might eventually.

I wrapped a towel around my waist and slipped out of the shower, soaking the floor in little blobs of water, slightly resembling feet. I found Rebekah downstairs dancing around the kitchen with earphones in her head, and singing along. I'd forgotten how angelic her voice was. She was just in a very large t-shirt and baking something. When she finally noticed my observation of her ministrations, she tugged one earphone out and shot me a grin.

"Why aren't you dressed?"

"I just wanted a glass of blood and alcohol. What are you making?"

"Cookies!" Rebekah cried. "We have a new neighbor and I thought I would welcome them."

"What's his name?"

Rebekah paused for only a moment before she said, "Christian, I think is what he said. It might be Calvin though."

"And how do you intend on winning his heart when you don't even remember his name?"

Rebekah slapped me on her way to the oven where she popped the cookies in and set the timer for ten minutes. "To be honest, I'm not sure it matters. I got the sense it wasn't his real name."

"So now you want to date a liar?"

"How about you don't worry about who I date. You don't want to ruin my good mood. I've been so nice to you." She handed me a small glass filled to the brim. "60 percent blood 40 percent bourbon. Just as you like it."

"Thank you. I will go put some clothes on now."

She gave me an exaggerated thumbs up before dipping her index finger into the dough and licking it off with a smile.

I strolled back down to the kitchen where Rebekah had changed into a sleeveless black dress with a long necklace adorned in a couple large charms collected together. She had done her hair as usual and was wearing a pair of brown boots. She had the plate of cookies in her hand and was glancing around the kitchen to see if she'd forgotten anything.

"I'm heading out. If it goes well I won't be back for a while. If it doesn't or he just doesn't feel like company I'll be back in ten."

"Good luck." She smiled as she walked out the door and I collapsed on a couch and grabbed Heart of Darkness off the side table. My plans for the day consisted of absolutely nothing, not even scheming, and it felt wonderful. It felt like I was always doing something and for once I had a chance to relax.

That is, until my phone rang. It was Rebekah.

"I'm in the bathroom," she whispered, "I don't think we're being overheard. His name is Connor, Klaus. Connor."

I racked my brain trying to understand why this mattered to me until a flashback of a girl in a tight purple dress sitting on the lap of a young man in a brown leather jacket. They were flirting heavily and I had gone up to them with only one thought in mind. Leading the woman away and draining her of every single drop of blood. And I did just that but not before I bit the young man when he came running out with a gun and his face was splattered with my blood from a small gash on my neck the girl had managed to created with her fingernails. He wasn't instantly healed but my blood was in his system and he had died. And his name had been Connor.

"Shit," I groaned.

"I have to go. I don't know what he's doing here but you should be careful, Niklaus. I'm worried."

"I can trust the flirtation has not gone according to plan then."

"It's actually been great. I think I might be the only thing between you and him right now; that's how much we hit it off."

I shook my head. I should've known that my maybe impending death wouldn't matter too much to her when it came to the "perfect" man. I'm sure she even blamed me for his desire to end me; at least I assumed that was reason who moved in next door.

I crawled out of the dip in the couch and dialed, my brother, Elijah's phone number to call him for back up. But then I realized however much he cared for family he would say I deserved whatever comes to me in this situation, being the highly moral creature he is. So I tried to come up with anybody else who would be here if the shit hit the fan but there was no one. I kept thinking of Caroline, but I think it was more a desire to see her, than confidence she would actually stand behind me on this. Plus, I still had Tyler to worry about. I shouldn't pull his girlfriend away, especially when that seemed to be my greatest fault to him.

So, unlike anything I would've done just a week ago, I went for a walk to clear my head of the feeling that everybody wanted to kill me. I understood it had always been that way, but this time around I could die. And I wasn't ready to die. I sunk down on a wall beside a house on the sidewalk and placed my head in my hands. Just in time for Caroline to walk by, apparently.

"Klaus?"

I jerked out of position, and made a move to get up but Caroline waved me off and sat beside me, leaning against the wall just as I did.

"What are you doing here?" I sighed.

"I was just going over to the Salvatore's. I figured someone should let them know Katherine's dead if they don't know already."

"Yeah, I bet you money they didn't find her."

Caroline laughed and agreed but suddenly became silent. I glanced over at her to notice her watching me with a degree of worry in her eyes.

"You're worried about me?" I murmured.

She delicately rested her hand on my forearm, which my eyes automatically flicked to. She brought her head down and desperately tried to make eye contact. Eventually her luminous blue eyes bobbed into focus and held my attention.

"I am worried about you. Why are you sitting against a wall in the middle of nowhere with your head in your hands? It's not you."

"I," my voice cracking, "I could die. I'm not ready to die." I knew she sensed the vulnerability in what I said because she slid her hand down to mine and squeezed it gently. But instead of letting go she left it there. I twisted my fingers in and out of hers and her eyes burned into mine.

"Listen to me. You aren't going to die. I will promise you that right now. I don't believe you deserve that."

"You're about the only one," I groaned.

"Since when have you been a self-loathing, self-pitying pile of shit, Klaus? Pull it together."

"Wanna hear a secret?"

"What?"

"I've always been like that, Caroline. I've just never had a reason to show it."

"And you don't now, either," she replied, stubbornly. "Everything will be okay. You're intelligent, self-involved, which in this case is helpful, and you are still a vampire. Your strength is not so badly diminished that you have no hope of winning any fight."

"I just..."

"I know. I get it," Caroline interrupted. "I do. But it's time to move on. Everybody deals with some life altering event once in their life and everyone eventually moves on. So make the conscious decision to move on now before they get to you first."

"But I've had multiple life-altering events."

"No, you haven't. You've just had multiple lifetimes. And, look, you made it through."

"Did I?"

"What do you mean?" she questioned quizzically.

"Do you like what came out?"

She leaned her head against my shoulder and whispered, "I've seen much worse."


	4. Chapter 4

Caroline had to leave me a couple of minutes later, so Tyler wouldn't worry, were her exact words. I internally cringed at her devotion, because I could almost guarantee the only thing Tyler would ever worry about was being shown up by me. He was probably having a glass of alcohol and watching t.v. and not even realizing that Caroline had been gone over forty minutes for a quick check in on Damon, Stefan, and Elena who literally lived the distance of a five minute walk away. I would be more willing to leave her be if I didn't know that Tyler was kind of a dick, however much he loved her.

I finally peeled myself from the sidewalk and ambled back home reminiscing on what Caroline had said. Okay, less on what she had said, and more on the fact her head had made contact with my shoulder and she'd been okay with my hand holding hers, even if it had only been a couple of minutes. I'd couldn't remember ever having to be comforted, but she had done a perfect job. I'd felt...loved.

I shook my head at the thought, laughing bitterly at myself for even using that word in relation to Caroline. Sure, she felt bad for me, being the compassionate person she simply is, and we'd undeniably grown closer, but I could never tell if it was in a positive way. I hadn't felt this much emotion and not delved into someone's neck before. And I didn't even want to. Maybe some of Caroline's purity was rubbing off on me.

I got home to find Rebekah still absent. I couldn't think of a single interaction I wanted to have with the outside world so I lugged upstairs and collapsed into a chair beside my easel and fingered the blank canvas. A vague idea hit me and I began mixing the colors I would want followed by a quick pencil sketch on the canvas. I'd never really been into planning, I was more the direct to paint artist, but the thought was so complex and I wanted it to be perfect that it seemed like a smart idea. I plopped the paints onto a palette and pulled a large paintbrush out of my dozens of paintbrushes resting in a ceramic jug. I dolled on some dark grey and brushed it in expansive half circles across the top of the canvas.

I spent almost all the remaining hours of the day, caught in a zone. I didn't feel hungry, tired, or in want of anything at all. I simply wished I could finish. And I did.

There was a massive forest clouded in a depressing cover of dark grey. The forest was adorned in thousands of webs in a wispy white made with the smallest brush I could find. The ground was strewn with dead leaves and pine needles with the occasional cluster of fungus and bulbous worms were crawling over everything. A mountain lion was hidden behind a massive tree trunk, but it's tail and head were visible. The scenery was vile but scattered throughout the atmosphere of the fantasy world were small dots of light like illuminated faeries, and it gave the forest an almost ethereal glow. It ended up perfect and I knew, when the time was right, and I gifted this to Caroline, she would understand exactly what I was trying to say.

I hadn't heard Rebekah come home but I turned to leave and found her loitering outside the door examining my piece.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"An hour or so. It's peaceful watching you paint. You're always so blissful, even if you're painting something like that. It's so morbid," she responded.

"That's kind of how I feel."

"Oh, stop complaining."

I sighed, and relaxed the muscles in my face, "How was your day?"

"He's amazing, you know. He has a big heart. I kind of understand why he wants revenge."

"I knew you would."

"Do you remember in the 20's when every night we played a game of rummy. Want to play?"

Usually I wouldn't care of even notice that she was just trying to distract me and be nice, so instead of being patronizing, I smiled and said, "Not really. I was going to go get my painting framed, but thanks for the offer. Maybe I'll take you up on it sometime."

"What happened to you?" Rebekah asked, peering up at me suspiciously. "It's like there's a sweet Klaus doppleganger out there, and he switched with you when you got revampized."

"I'll be back to normal soon, don't you worry."

Rebekah kept staring at me and when it got to the point I felt like a test subject I ran cautiously out of the house and went to the only place in Mystic Falls that framed anything. The lady at the desk couldn't stop admiring the painting, but also wouldn't believe that I had been the artist. She suggested many backgrounds and frame types of light wood or paleish colors to offset the darkness but I wanted to maintain the color scheme. Needless to say she kept arguing with me until I offered to pay her an extra twenty bucks to shut up and do her job, which she, surprisingly enough, was grudgingly pleased with.

"It'll be ready in two days."

"Great," I said and walked out of the store and back home. Rebekah was in bed when I arrived and I decided I should call Caroline and say thank you. She had been right about everything and I just felt as though I was in her debt in some way. Who know what road I would've gone down but she protected me from a darker one.

"Hello?" I heard her bell-like voice chime over the phone.

"Hi, Caroline."

"Oh, Klaus, hey. What's up?" I heard some shuffling and some angry, furious whispering before I answered.

"I just wanted to thank you for what you said this morning."

"It was no trouble."

"What's going on over there?" I demanded.

"Tyler's just being...difficult. He wanted me to hang up right when I said your name. He's just being so paranoid. He should know better. I'm scared what will happen if he cracks."

"You shouldn't be scared."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that he's your boyfriend of about a year and you love him. You should never be scared around the person you love. Ever. That's the reason trust is such a big factor."

There was crackling on her side for multiple minutes until she responded, "I would disregard that comment if I didn't know you loved me and that statement is the exact reason we can never be together. It means you truly mean what you're saying. I'll think about that. I should go."

"Goodbye Caroline."

"Bye, Klaus."

And then it was buzzing.

P.S. Please review! :)


	5. Chapter 5

*So, I thought this weeks episode was absolutely gorgeous, especially Klaroline! :) Anyways, I wanted to dedicate this chapter to that episode as well as draw parallels between the two. While in my story, they seem to already be established friends, everything is unsure for these two.

I woke up to searing pain in my arms, legs and chest. I scrambled out of the bed to find the sheets doused in my blood and crippling pain spreading all across my body, causing my to collapse to the floor in a fetal position. Not long after my body slammed against the floor I heard muffled screaming coming from closet. I inched over, basically army crawling, and managed to slide it open. Rebekah had her hands tied behind her back and a piece of black cloth tied across her mouth, making the skin around her cheeks taut. I motioned for her to swivel around, and I undid the bondages enclosing her hands. She swiftly pulled down the cloth and wrapped me in a hug.

"I was so sure you were dead."

"What happened?" I groaned. "And I'm not through this yet."

"I let Connor come in for a drink after a really really fantastic date. The first thing he did after he downed it, was tie me up in here after waving a gun with wooden bullets engaged in front of my face. I heard it fire a couple of times. I was terrified for you. You were right. He's a complete ass."

"I never said that," I sighed, knowing I should've been ready for something like this. Rebekah was easy to manipulate when it came to love, which was her greatest strength but also her greatest weakness.

"It's what you were thinking. You start pulling those out."

"I'm not sure..."

"Oh don't be such a baby," she demanded. "I'm gonna run to the store really quick and get you something to settle your nerves."

"We have plenty here."

"I had your last good bottle. Completely wasted on that guy," she whispered to herself. "I'll get you something fabulous; I owe it to you."

"Hurry," I grumbled, as I tugged futilely on the first of many bullets. It eventually flew out after a couple minutes of tugging and I couldn't help but release a whooshing yelp. A knock echoed through the house and I somehow managed to pull myself up and stumble down the stairs, dripping blood from the reopened wound, and opened the door before collapsing against the first solid thing I could find. Which happened to be Caroline. She lightly pushed me away but not before examining me and gasping. "What the hell happened to you?"

"An old enemy."

She grimaced. "How many bullets?"

"God knows."

Caroline supported me back up to my bedroom and settled me on my already mussed up sheets, and watched me helplessly as I set back to work self-inflicting pain in order to eventually reduce it. Because that makes sense.

"What can I do for you?"

"Huh?"

"You obviously didn't come here because you had a strange dream in which I was dying," I said sarcastically. "So why are you here?"

She twiddled her thumbs back and forth and glanced up at me nervously.

"What is it?"

"It's Tyler. I woke up and he was gone. No note, no car. I'm worried something might have happened to him."

"Two night attacks in one town seems massively unlikely. But what does this have to do with me?"

"I need help...finding him."

"Help me with the bullet in the back of my leg there. I can't see it."

Caroline dutifully bent down, her hair falling down, haloing her face, and shakily wrapped her hands around my calf to try and discover where the bullet was. Tingled shot up my leg, but I wasn't sure it was from the pain. "Just get it out. The pain you cause me now has nothing on what'll happen if you don't." She nodded and twisted her fingernails in, digging around for a second, before ripping it out. I clenched my teeth and inhaled sharply, bending my neck back to shield my eyes from hers. She didn't need to know how much pain I was in.

"Thank you," I spluttered, wiping the back of my hand against my forehead to clear the sweat. She was staring at me expectantly when I gazed back up at her and I internally sighed. "And why would I want to find Tyler?"

"Because I love him?" she stated, framing it as a question.

"Mmm, I'm afraid that isn't going to cut it." I moaned as I got the last bullet out from my body and relaxed back against my pillow in complete bliss for the one moment it hurt less then before until the open wounds started swelling and creating their own hub of pain.

"You owe it to him, to me."

"I don't him a goddamn thing."

"You sent him away for months! I don't care how many times he's tried to kill you. Elena tried to kill you, Damon tried to kill you, Stefan tried to kill you, hell, even I tried to kill you. None of us had a fucking death warrant on our heads."

"They didn't turn my hybrids on me!"

"You're being a child. So, some guy steals your toys. Get over it!"

"I shouldn't have to ever be nice to the guy who stole my toys," I yelled back, continuing to use her metaphor.

"I'm not asking you to be nice to him, you arrogant dick. I'm asking you to help me because I want Tyler to come home. It has nothing to do with him. I don't care if you care whether he's alive or not, or comes back or not. I just want your help."

I fumed silently, trying to understand her logic. I couldn't comprehend it as long as I tried, so I approached the situation from a different angle. I loved Caroline, and she was asking for my help. If I refused I was no closer to where I wanted to be. If I took time out of my day to humor her, who knows.

"Alright. We have to wait till Rebekah gets back though."

Caroline grinned ecstatically and enveloped me in a smothering hug. I felt every single point of contact and created new ones with my hands on her shoulder blades and my chin resting against the nape of her neck. It was beautiful. There were no other words to describe it. I didn't hear Rebekah come in but I heard the small gasp as she saw us. Caroline jerked away and I slowly unfolded myself. I rolled my eyes at her and she shrugged gently in reply, strolling over and handing me some good bourbon.

"Thanks."

She nodded. I asked Caroline to get the lid for me, not sure if I could pop it open as quickly as normal and Rebekah and me shared a look. Mine was of excitement, but hers was dread.


	6. Chapter 6

When Caroline left to get her car, and I ushered her out with a smile that I couldn't help, I spun around to Rebekah and stared her down.

"What was that look for?"

"Which one?" she sighed, her feet dangling from the end of the couch she'd collapsed on. "There've been so many."

"The one when you walked in."

"Oh! And saw you and Caroline sharing a romantic moment?" she said whimsically.

"Yeah. That one," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Oh maybe the fact, seconds before she was declaring her love for someone else. Or maybe that that someone else is your enemy. Or maybe the fact that you were putting too much stock into the hug. She's going to hurt you, brother."

"Since when have you looked out for me?"

"Since when have you needed looking after?" she whispered.

I didn't think on that long because I could already hear Caroline's car racing down the corner to our house. I don't know how I knew it was her, but I did.

"When'll you be back?" Rebekah asked.

"God knows. I'm not really in control when I'm with Caroline."

"Then I don't understand why you love her."

I shrugged and strolled out the door and hopped into her car. She didn't say a word but shot me a small smile before backing out of the driveway and driving to the left.

"Where do you propose we start our search?" I asked.

"Haley."

"Ah. Our lovely werewolf friend. Not a bad idea."

"She's not our friend," Caroline huffed.

"Sarcasm, love, sarcasm. Well, if that's the plan I suggest we leave Mystic Falls."

"Where is she?"

"Last I knew, she was in Georgia, hiding from everyone. That's the place to start."

Caroline nodded and shifted into the lane that headed towards the freeway. "Why do you think Tyler left?" I questioned softly, not wanting to rile her up.

"Honestly? He's still terrified of you, Klaus, which I understand is not your fault completely," she said, appeasing me, "The point is, I'm not sure he's going to stop trying to bring you down. Or maybe he's just tired of me. I'll catch him occasionally staring at me while I'm blabbing about all sorts of things like he doesn't understand why he's put up with this for so long."

I didn't say anything in a prayer to not anger her. "I can't imagine you'd be a bad girlfriend."

"I'm not. I'm fabulous to be honest. I'm always there for him, I'd die for him, and do anything for him. I stayed with him while he was changing for god's sakes and I easily could of died. I have sex with him and respect him and..."

"I get it," I mumbled. "Just drive, Caroline."

"You don't like my incessant babbling either, do you?"

I laughed. "I love it. It's bright and alive. I just don't appreciate it when it's about you and Tyler and your love life."

"Right," Caroline blushed. She pressed a button beside the dash and music came from the speakers. It was a powerful, warbling voice and the lyrics were phenomenal. I'd always been more of a jazz person, but this was incredible.

"Who is this?"

"Florence and the Machine."

"It's good."

"You think so? Tyler hates it. He does put up with it, though."

Caroline went off the freeway on an exit that had a sign about some town in Georgia, and drove through a small town where there was practically no one around. They must've all been at work or in their houses. We passed a small park with more pavement then grass."

"Pull over."

"In this park? Why?"

"Please."

Caroline rolled her eyes and pulled into the middle of the park on the pavement. "What are we doing her, Klaus?"

I opened my door and walked around to her side of the car and helped her out before sliding into the driver's seat and blasting whatever Florence and the Machine song was on. It was so haunting there wasn't any way I was ignoring it.

"This song...it's," I began.

"Beautiful. I know. It's my favorite. It's titled Over the Love. It's from the Leo version of The Great Gatsby."

I reached my hand out to hers and she gazed at it like it was some odd creature from the ocean oozing green puss. "Take it," I whispered.

She shook her head at me, clasped her lips together and twirled her hair before placing her hand in mine. I spun her around and brought her inches from my chest. She wrung her arms around my neck and laid her head on my shoulder, swaying in time with me. "Thank you," I enunciated in her ear.

"I've always wanted to dance to this song," she murmured, mostly to herself. I grinned and held her tighter. The song started to pick up in pace and volume so I lifted her off her feet my hands around her waist and spun in circles. I don't know how many but if felt like hours. Her laugh echoing in my ears and her electric blue eyes shining bright and never straying from mine. When I finally set her down she fell into me, dizzy.

"I thought we should take a break from driving."

"That was perfect. I haven't had that much fun in forever!" she shrieked, like a five year old child who'd discovered the properties of a trampoline.

"Can you drive?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine. I'm kind of hungry though."

"Shit," I murmured.

"What?"

"I didn't think of packing blood bags. Not really my thing, you know."

"I know," she sighed. "I forgot them too. God, I'm stupid."

"I'll just go kill some innocent little deer or something and bring some blood back in a water bottle for you, if you'd like that."

"You'd drink animal blood for me?"

"That's the least of what I'd do for you, Caroline. I'll be back." And I ran off before she could reply to my last comment. I didn't want to see the pity on her face.

I came back a few minutes later to find Caroline sitting on the hood of her car watching the clouds pass by in the sky. Her phone was to her ear and she was leaving a message, for Tyler no doubt.

"...ridiculous. People don't do this to their girlfriends. I'm with Klaus trying to find you, you undeserving douche. Maybe that'll give you the incentive to call me." And she hung up.

"He's probably in a unforgiving, dangerous pickle."

"He'd better be," she fumed. "You weren't really supposed to hear that."

I handed her the blood and she unscrewed the cap and downed half of it. I'd already had my fill back in the woods and it had been absolutely vile. I had no idea how she survived off that.

She hopped into the driver's seat once more and we were off. And I left feeling extremely proud in my self-restraint. It took all my willpower not to kiss her after that dance, but I knew it would've been unwelcome. Coming on this trip with her had been maybe one of the worst ideas in all my life and it was just going to get more complicated. The problem was the fact that she no longer hated me. That she actually trusted me.


	7. Chapter 7

I pointed to a single house in a vast field of wheat-like grass. It was painted a sickly color of blue, probably due to the grime covering it and there was a depressed looking mailbox, it's left hinge destroyed so the lid was swaying with the wind.

"That's it, I think."

"How do you even know?" Caroline asked, glaring at me as though I was making up information to seem impressive and helpful. Maybe I was, I didn't even know. At least it was a subconscious decision.

"See that, lying on the grass over there?"

Caroline squinted slightly and nodded. "Yeah. What are they?"

"It's feet and feet of chains all wrapped up. I can practically guarantee you a werewolf lives or used to live here with that much chain. Besides, there are no houses anywhere near it. That's another good sign."

Caroline no longer questioned my half-certainty and pulled into the gravel driveway as slowly as possible, trying to minimize the crunch from the tire-gravel contact.

"What do we do now?" she whispered.

"I don't know. And why are you whispering?"

"Can't they hear us?"  
"Probably not."

"But what do we do!" she cried.

I raised my hands palms facing outward. "This is your baby, Caroline. I'm just along for the ride. And to beat Tyler up if you so desire."

"You will do no such thing."  
I sighed dejectedly and glanced out the window. The house sure looked deserted, but that could just be to keep up appearances. I knew enough about this situation to know that for some reason Tyler didn't want to be found. Not even by his own girlfriend. "Well," I began, "we could do it my way, or we could think on it and go rest in a motel for awhile or something."

"What's your way?"

"Barging into the house and hope you can pin them down and threaten them before they can jump out the windows."

"Um..."

"Your decision," I chortled silently.

"Let's do it your way."

I raised my eyebrows in shock, and thought about questioning her logic but realized she probably wouldn't be so keen to answer. Either she trusted me enough for this to work, which she wouldn't freely admit, or she didn't want to spend any amount of time with me in the same motel room. Ever. Which hopefully she was too kind to admit. "Okay."

"Lead the way. You know what you're doing."

"Gladly," I smiled, wishing I could rub my hands together mischievously like the cartoon characters in those comics Rebakah watched when she was trying to feel more human. I wrapped my hand around Caroline's without thought and turned with my finger over my lips to indicate silence. We tiptoed to the front door of the house and paused inches away. I grinned at her before stepping back and giving a massive kick to the door right next to the handle so the lock would give way and we were home free.

The door burst open and I did a quick mad dash throughout the entire house searching for any sign of life. Caroline had abandoned me somewhere along the way, probably conducting the same rounds. I eventually stalled in the living room and waited for Caroline to meet me there.

"Find anything?" I asked, when she whirred into the room.

"Nope. You?"

"Absolutely nothing." Caroline closed her eyes in disappointment and I thought I better mention the little piece of information I had found. "But, there was a fire in the fireplace."

"So?"  
"That means someone was here. And not that long ago."  
"What are you saying? They're probably long gone."

"Nah, they couldn't have gone far. And that would be under the assumption they knew we were coming which I would highly suspect they didn't. They just had time to get somewhere safe. But most likely somewhere in this house."

"So you're saying there's some secret passageway or hidden door like Hogwarts."

"I'm not sure what you mean by Hogwarts, but kind of yes. More like a trap door that leads to, say, a basement."

"You've never read Harry Potter?"

"I'm afraid not. And with a name like that, I'm almost positive I don't want to."

"That needs to change. We'll have to work on that, you and I. Okay, well, I guess I'll go look for a secret passageway." And she darted off. I was too busy reminiscing on you and I. Eventually I strolled around the house, trying to avoid any squeaking searching as well.

"Klaus?" I heard her angelic voice ring quietly through the house. I appeared at her side seconds later and she pointed to a wall.

"I don't see anything."

"No, I know, but listen."

I placed my ear on the wall and focused on nothing trying to discern something. Then I heard Caroline's voice, but not from her body. I thought for a second I was having an out-of-body experience until I heard the shrillness on the phrase undeserving douche.

"He's listening to your messages," I whispered, desperately trying to refrain from bursting into laughter which would almost definitely give us away. Not that we should've already been found out as being beside this wall. But, then again, Tyler had never been calculatingly smart. "He's an idiot."

"Not that I think so, but in this case I kind of agree."

"How do we get in?"

"Don't know. I've been looking for some kind of nob or something."

"Like this?" And I pressed down on a small symbol, hardly noticeable against the grain of the wood, allowing a door to swing open. We careened in to find no one there.

"Shit," Caroline said.

I bent down to the phone left on the ground playing the message and grinned. I'd underestimated Tyler Lockwood. No, that wasn't right. I'd overestimated his feelings for Caroline, not that I would ever say that to her. This had been a distraction. They'd escaped while we were trying to find a way in here. They probably hadn't even been in the room, but I wasn't positive.

"How long was the message you left him?"

"I don't know. A couple of minutes?"

I recalled all the moments I'd ever talked, like seriously talked to Caroline, and she talked a little too much. That one-sided conversation likely went on longer than that. Which meant they hadn't even been in the room.

"They must've just got away," Caroline whispered to herself. "Jesus, the luck I've had."

I didn't have the heart to tell her that it was not as close as she thought and sunk down, leaning against the wall. She sat beside me and leaned her head on my shoulder in exhaustion. Probably mental. But I could tell the feeling wasn't romantic. "What now?"

"I have no clue. We'll find something."

"Will we?"

"Maybe. But I won't give up until we do."

"You know the amazing thing?"

"What?"

"You don't give a shit," she said. "And yet, you're still here and determined to find Tyler, even though you could care less if he disappeared forever."

"You're unhappy," I said simply.

"Since when has that mattered to you? I'm always unhappy around you."

I internally cringed but managed to squeeze out a couple of words without sounding hurt. "It always has, love. I just didn't understand what that was like for you until now. And I probably still don't," I laughed shortly.

"You're getting better," she murmured, "Because I'm not mad right now. I'm glad you're here with me. I'm not sure anybody else would be at this point. They would just say he'd come back when he's ready. But how do they even know he wants to be gone?"

"They don't, Caroline. But you have to be ready if..."  
"I know. I am. I have plenty to say to Tyler Lockwood right down, and I have it all written down in notes on my phone."

I laughed and she joined in until tears were both in our eyes almost ready to overflow out. "Sounds like you," I gasped.

"God, I'm awful."

"No, you're wonderful."

"Thank you," she whispered and rested back on my shoulder. This time I wasn't sure what the feeling was behind it.


	8. Chapter 8

We were on the hood of Caroline's car pondering what to do next. She wasn't willing to drive without a destination. She claimed it was because of the gas money wasted but I suspected it reminded her of the hopelessness she was feeling.

"How sure are you that Tyler loves you?"

"Klaus..."

"No, seriously Caroline."

"Pretty sure. I have to believe that..."

"That's not the same thing," I countered.

"Why?"

"Because I have an insane plan that just might work but it depends heavily on Tyler's love for you."

"Is this some sort of test or..."

"No," I interrupted. "I swear. You want to see Tyler again? We have no idea where he may be and what I have in mind might just draw him out."

"Why don't you tell me and I'll see what I think?"

I nodded. "Tyler knows you're with me and his trust of me is probably at an all time low. All you'd have to do is leave a message on Tyler's phone saying you love me and he deserves Haley and basically just do your regular ranting. The only problem, of course, is that it's a shit ton of lies and Tyler may not forgive you for that, but I bet you it will get him out in the open."

"I hope he isn't as insecure and petty as that," Caroline sighed.

"It would wound his pride. Trust me on that."

"You think it will work?"

"Yes, love, I do."

"Alright. We'll try it." Caroline dug her phone out of her pocket and started fiddling around with the keyboard while staring intently at the screen. "There's just one problem. I called him last night and told him I loved him."

"Okay," I replied, my mind working at double speed to come up with a solution. "Are you willing to wait a couple of days?"

"Sure, but I don't think that will fix the problem."

"A lot can happen in a couple of days Caroline. And I think Tyler understands that."

Caroline rolled her eyes and shoved me aside as she made for the driver's side of the car. "Are you still convinced he was hooking up with Haley?"

"No. But I am convinced he thought about it. There was no denying the sexual tension between them whenever I walked into a room. They both seemed ready to start ripping each others clothes off."

"Ugh, bad mental image," Caroline shuddered. "Let's move on to a different topic. Get in the car."

"Where are we going?"

"A motel. I refuse to sleep in a car. It's not good for my hair, or my clothes, or frankly my general hygiene. I'd like to shower."

I laughed cheerily and hopped into the passenger side of the car. "I saw a good looking hotel on the right side of this very street a couple hundred yards back."

"Sounds good." Caroline reversed the car and swiveled around so she was sticking out into traffic with her left blinker on, ready to attempt crossing four lanes of traffic. When we got to the hotel, Caroline gasped and and began shaking her head incessantly.

"We can't stay here. It's too..."

"Expensive? Not to be a prude, but I will pay. Come on, Caroline, let me treat you to one night of luxury."

Caroline looked to be uncertain so I started rambling about the rooms. I'd stayed in the same string of hotels plenty of times and had a general idea of what they were like. "The showers are quite expansive and they have those little bottles of shampoo and conditioner. The towels are white and fluffy, and did I mention the shower head is one of those waterfall type ones? The beds are quite comfortable and they usually have a massive supply of popcorn and you can rent movies down in the lobby beside the table of..."

"Shut up," Caroline said. "I'm convinced. Just stop making me feel so bad about wanting it so much."

"Don't feel bad. This is the kind of thing I live for, Caroline. Making you happy."

"Do you ever give up?"

"No."

"Jesus," she smiled, "and I thought I was stubborn." She bumped up against me lightly as we were walking up to the hotel and I grinned down at her. "See?" I whispered into her ear, "Aren't you having fun already?"

We got up to the room with two queen size beds, a flat screen t.v., a shower exactly how I described it, and the popcorn. I popped some into the microwave as Caroline shut the door to the bathroom, hit the fan, and started the water for a shower. When the popcorn was done, I opened up the steaming bag and shoved a couple of pieces into my mouth. By the time I was bored out of my mind I'd already finished a third of the bag. So I got up, leaving the bag on the bed, and knocked on the bathroom door. I heard a squelchy shuffling and Caroline peered around the crack in the door as if her neck was like a swan's.

"What's up?"

"I was going to go rent a movie. Anything in particular you would like?"

"V for Vendetta."

"Good choice." I went down to the lobby and asked one of the attendants if they had a copy of V for Vendetta on hand. They said that someone had already rented it for the evening so I compelled them to tell me which room number. I was soon at room 213, knocking on the door. A young woman with squinty eyes answered the door and I compelled her to give me the copy. She obliged without complaint and before Caroline was even done getting dressed from her shower, I'd returned to the room, movie in hand.

When Caroline came out she was dressed in cotton pajama bottoms with penguins and an oversized t-shirt with a unicorn on a rainbow printed on it.

"Interesting," I observed.

"Unfortunately, I've never seen the point of extending my superior fashion sense into something I wear to bed. And I didn't predict you'd be seeing me in my pajamas."

"I like them." I saw a small blush climb into Caroline's cheeks before she crawled under the blankets on her bed and demanded for me to start the movie. I was on the verge of completing the question of would she like so more popcorn when she shushed me.

"This poem at the beginning is gorgeous. It never ceases to amaze me. So, shut the fuck up."

I waited patiently for the poem to be over.

"Would you like some popcorn?" I restated.

"Love some."

I got up from my bed and laid down beside her but on top of the covers. I could tell she was about to protest but when I easily shifted the popcorn down to her level she quickly silenced. This way we were both able to eat popcorn at the same time.

Our popcorn bag was littered with a few kernels shaking around at the bottom of the bag when V was being laid down in the tube full of explosives. I glanced down at Caroline to see little jewels of tears slipping down her cheeks. The movie was soon over and I whispered, "How many times did you cry tonight?"  
"Twice. I always cry when Evie is reading the letters and then when V dies. Always."

"How many times have you seen this?"

"I've lost count," she replied, her voice shaky from the strain of trying not to burst into wracking sobs. "It's by far my favorite movie."

I didn't know how to reply so we simply pondered the movie in silence before I shifted the weight of the bed so I could return to mine and leave Caroline be.

"Wait, Klaus."

"Hmm?" I paused, on the very edge of her bed.

"Just lie with me for a while. I need the company." So I slipped down to her level and watched as she shaded those piercing blue eyes from me and drifted off into sleep. When her breathing turned heavy and deep I kissed her on the forehead and brushed my thumb against her cheek before returning to my bed. She shifted when I left, but didn't appear to wake. That was when I realized I no longer understood why we were searching for Tyler. I didn't see the purpose. Not for me, because the purpose would always be the necessity to be wherever Caroline was, but for her. It was almost like she didn't want to find him. Only two days ago, she was pleading to find him as fast as possible and now she was willing to wait a couple of days just to set up a plan that might not even work.

Was I in luck?

Was there a light at the end of the vicious tunnel?

Was there hope?


	9. Chapter 9

"Hey," a voice whispered. I blearily opened my eyes and Caroline's face slowly came into focus, first her waves of blonde hair, and then her eyes. I smiled, and she returned it.

"I could get used to that," I mumbled.

Caroline laughed. "You just said cugasdttat."  
"Did not," I replied more coherently before glancing over at the clock hanging by the door and groaningly rubbed my hand over my eyes. "Why?"

"Well we have a day to kill and I know you've always wanted to show me the world. I get that Georgia probably doesn't satisfy but is there anywhere you want to go?"

"You had to do this at six in the morning?"

"I was up at five. It was nice watching you sleep...for like thirty minutes."

I nodded and crawled out of bed just in a pair of boxes. Caroline shielded her eyes before shaking her head and uncovering them. I could tell she was very concentrated on not checking me out so I stretched and held the position for ten seconds too long and then strolled to the bathroom slowly, giving her ample time to do so. I refrained from looking back and tossed water into my face. I rubbed my hand over the stubble popping into existence. I needed to shave.

I came back out of the bathroom to get a shirt tossed in my face. "Put some clothes on."

"Yes ma'am," I grinned. "You don't happen to have a knife or anything do you?"

"The stubble's not all that bad. We'll buy you something today."

"Going domestic are we?"

"You wish."

I actually kind of sort of did but I didn't say so. My forward romantic gestures this early in the morning was probably overkill.

"So what are we doing?" Caroline called from the beds.

"Well, we should definitely go to Centennial Park for a bit. But Georgia is basically just a bunch of dated houses in really good shape with beautiful gardens which somehow I don't think is your thing. We could visit Margaret Mitchell's house."

"Good with me," Caroline replied. "Now clear out of the bathroom and let me change." She had a pile of clothes laden across her arms and I ceded the bathroom over graciously. She gave me a shove on the way past and hurried into the bathroom before I could reciprocate and shut the door. I pulled on some jeans and a more a shirt I liked much better and perched on the bed knowing that women tended to take a long time to do anything.

To my surprise Caroline came out not much longer then five minutes in a sleeveless yellow sundress with a necklace dangling down to almost her waist. She had sunglasses acting almost as a headband and she was toting a small brown purse across her body. She looked incredible.

"Stop staring and let's go."

I followed her out and internally groaned as she got behind the wheel. "Can't I drive?" I complained. "I know where we're going."

Caroline stuck her tongue out at me and shook her head. "No way in hell. I don't even know if you know how to."

"It can't be that hard."

"So you don't?"

"I..."

"You don't," Caroline erupted in laughter. "Well, remind me to teach you someday. In the meantime, you don't have permission to even touch the wheel. I don't want my car to be a pile of scrap metal."

I slunk silently into my seat, disgruntled. I had to spend the entire ride pointing out signs, trying to stay attentive, and watching Caroline keep her eyes very fixated on the road. Whenever she snuck a look at me, and noticed I was watching she flicked them back so fast it was almost as though they'd never strayed to me.

Eventually we reached Centennial Park and I excitedly tugged Caroline out of the car, ecstatic that I was finally allowed to move around. She giggled as I held her hand and ran to the center of the park surrounded by massive sky scrapers and positioned her directly in the middle of what appeared to be silver rings patterned on the ground.

"What are we doing?"

"Just wait. You're going to hate me," I laughed.

"What are you talking about? What's going to..." Then all of a sudden fountains of water burst out of the ground and completely drenched Caroline. Her face was a mix of absolute ferocity and of betraying happiness. She shook her hands of water, even though it accomplished nothing and before I could back out of her reach pulled me in beside her. We ended up sprinting between the columns of water trying to shove each other in while staying out of the jet streams. We both ended up being soaked to the bone and Caroline was having massive fits of laughter. When we decided to leave, Caroline shoved me in one last time but I had a firm grip on her wrist as she did so and she spun into my arms. There were a couple of seconds that felt like minutes in which neither of us moved and we were only inches apart. I bent down slightly, desperately wanting to kiss her, but that was when she moved and spun away. I drew her back in, water spluttering into her face and held it between my hands.

"You, Caroline Forbes, are beautiful. Even with mascara running down your cheeks."

A small blush crept into her cheeks and she managed to get us both out of the fountains.

"Let's go see Margaret Mitchell's house," was all she answered in reply, but she was given away by her natural, almost instinctual response of covering her hot cheeks. I tugged her back to the car and we drove for a while to get to Margaret Mitchell's house. It ended up being fairly massive but with an almost cottage like feel. The lawn was nicely groomed, as well as hedges running against the sidewalk much like a fence. A tour was about to start but Caroline didn't want to take one because she was worried getting something other than her car super wet even though she was mostly dry by this point. I didn't pressure her but did pull her outside to get a better look.

Caroline gazed up at the house and shook her head. "Who would ever get white trim like that? I bet they have to clean it every week just to make it so incandescently white. Who wants to take that much time for trim?"

"Because when it is clean it looks good, I guess. It's like asking why girls spend a bunch of time putting on makeup when a lot of the time they are just as beautiful without it. I'm not sure anyone but the specific girl knows the answer. Just like nobody but people with white trim knows the answer to that question."

"It is beautiful," Caroline murmured. "I can just imagine her in there typing out thousands of pages on a typewriter. The house is kind of romantic. Maybe that's why she wrote one of the greatest love stories ever."

"I don't think it had anything to do with her house."

"Just let a girl dream."

I conceded to let her daydream and walked back and leaned against her car, waiting patiently for her to be finished. When she wandered back she leander her head up against my shoulder from in front of me. "That was lovely, Klaus. Thank you."

"I..." about to protest her belief, if that was the right word, in me. But I quickly reverted my statement and said, "You're welcome." As usual, I was having trouble focusing with her body touching mine. She shifted away, almost teasing, and slipped into the front seat. "Are you coming?" she smiled through her rolled down window.

I blubbered, flustered, and sat into the car. I'd felt in that moment almost as if we were a thing. I knew for sure we weren't, but I was beginning to sense what that would be like.

"Thank you," I whispered, unsure if I should avert from my usual words to pretty much anyone.

"For what?"

"I know you were the one who asked me to come with you, but you've treated me like a human being, like a friend. And that's really important to me. Being seen as just any other person, because I am, but nobody thinks so."

"That's probably because you don't act like it."

"I just have to..."

"I know. You have to keep it all locked away in your heart," she whispered placing her palm right over my heart. "Emotion is for the weak."

"You don't believe that."

"No, I don't. But you do. And you're wrong, you know."

"I don't know. I don't know which way is best anymore."

She started watching the road again before pulling up into the hotel parking lot. "That's life, Klaus. And only people who are alive can live that."


	10. Chapter 10

For the last few days before Caroline was to call Tyler we both remained in the hotel a majority of the time watching movies, which she had excellent taste in, drinking the occasional glass of alcohol, and lounging out on the porch reading or watching the people bustle beneath us.

The only change to our routine had come when I'd returned from grabbing a cup of coffee yesterday and found Caroline blasting Lifehouse from my iPod and having some sort of dance party. Needless to say it was pretty low-key, and she was mostly just jumping up and down. Her cheeks were flushed and the two braids she had in her hair were coming undone. When she noticed me she abruptly stopped dancing and smiled shyly.

"Please. Carry on," I shouted, "I'll just wander on outside." To my surprise she pouted and grabbed my hand, almost causing me to drop my coffee.

"Don't you ever have fun?"

"This isn't my idea of fun."

"Yeah. You're idea of fun is ripping people's heads off. This is a little less detrimental and just as fun."

I groaned, setting my coffee down on the counter in the tiny kitchen and reluctantly let her tug me into her bubble of furious arm waving and lip-syncing.

I was half-heartedly jumping alongside her and looking generally disgruntled when she jumped on my back and clung to me like a koala bear. "Come on," she breathed, "You love Lifehouse." I shrugged her from my shoulders, took a deep breath and shouted the lyrics of "Hanging by a Moment" to the world. Caroline reached for both my hands and spun us in a circle faster and faster until we were laughing masses on the ground, clinging to each other as to share this moment with someone. I kissed her lightly on the nose and didn't let her go as we quieted down until she slithered out of my arms.

"You slobbered on me a little bit," she whispered.

"Oops, sorry," I laughed, slinking my sleeve down to cover my hand and massaged her nose. "Better?"

She nodded and shot me a tiny smile.

I was on the porch now remembering that smile and sketching it out on one of my many notepads. Caroline came out in shorts, a plaid cropped top and her hair in a ponytail and handed me a glass of blood before sliding onto the top of the banister and taking a sip of her own. The sun created a halo around her hair and I reverted to her face from my drawing and didn't look away.

"Earth to Klaus."

"I'm here. Just enjoying the view."

"The oak tree behind me, right?"

"Of course," I said generously.

"I think I'll do it today," she conversed, sighing into the wind.

"Alright. You know what you're going to say?"

"I do."

"You should probably write it down," I suggested. "Screwing up just one word would probably fuck up everything."

"Nah. I'll be fine."

"Whatever," I sighed. "Your boyfriend. I'll go grab your phone."

"Thanks."

I strolled inside, grabbed her phone from the bedside table and handed it to her with a wish of good luck. She punched in a number on her phone and put it to her ear.

The phone rang out and Caroline began. She sounded the same as she usually did and casually enough to make it seem real. She was perfect.

"Hey Tyler, it's me. I don't know why you haven't been answering your phone, but I'm tired of waiting to tell you the news. I'm tired of calling and calling and not getting a response. I've been searching for you for days with Klaus, who graciously offered his assistance, and something happened." She half-smiled, probably preparing her voice to sound a certain way, "I've...I've fallen in love with him. Completely and undeniably. I need to see you. I need to know that we're real or else...or else, I don't know. If you love me, you'll have to come get me because I think you might be enough. I do still love you. But if you don't, I'm gone. Klaus is...incredible and I might not be able to help being without him. Please Tyler," she breathed and pressed the end button and brought the phone to her lap. She was solemn for a few seconds, pondering the words she had uttered before turning to me.

"Was that good or what?" she said animatedly.

"It was perfect. I even believed it myself," I mumbled, trailing off at the end.

"Oh, Klaus, I..."

"It's fine," I interrupted. "When do you think he'll get back to you?"

"If I know Tyler, he'll check his phone at least once a day. We might've missed him today but definitely by tomorrow, unless he doesn't give a rip about me."

"Of course he does. How could he not?"

Caroline smiled down at me from the banister and held her hands out. "Come help me down."

I strolled over, let her place her hands on my shoulders, pinched my fingers around her waist, and poised her in the air for a second before inch by inch descending her to ground level, inches away from me. I could feel her breath against my neck, and my spine tingled pleasantly. I captured her eyes in mine and held them captive as I bent nearer and nearer until our noses were touching. I paused, waiting for permission, and I didn't know whether I received it. She didn't protest but she appeared as though she was almost frozen in shock. But, of course, I covered her lips with mine and brought my hands to her hair.

"Klaus..." she mumbled past her lips, fighting to respond to my attention, "Klaus."

I disengaged myself automatically and stepped back ashamedly. "I'm sorry. I don't know how that happened."

"It's fine, Klaus. Just don't do it again unless I give you permission."

"Yeah, of course," I shook my head. "I'll just go take a shower. Clear my head."

"Klaus I'm..."

"It's fine, love, I get it. It won't happen again." I entered the room, shut the bathroom door, stripped down and stepped into water that quickly became steaming. I felt the water hit every inch of my skin, which felt like I was on fire. I was embarrassed but I also felt elated and fulfilled. I'd just kissed the love of my life and it could've gone a lot worse. I focused on breathing in and out and thinking about what sports would be on today based on the season and calculating the true number of television shows you could watch in twenty four hours. When I could think straight about other things unrelated to Caroline, or how warm her lips were, or how amazing the depth of her eyes was, I stepped out of the shower thinking of just that. _Fuck_ I thought. Nothing that usually worked with other girls was working. I wrapped a towel around my waist and strolled outside of the bathroom to find Caroline on her bed, watching t.v.

"What are you watching?" I asked.

"Clothes," she demanded. "I'm watching Supernatural reruns. They had a marathon from the very first episode on. It's actually moderately fascinating. I like this Dean guy."

"Mmm," I replied tugging on underwear and pants under my towel before shrugging it off and throwing on a white shirt. I laid down beside her and focused my attention on the show. "Which one's Dean?"

"Him," she pointed to a guy who was wearing an oversized brown leather jacket and baggy jeans and had a gun pointed at something.

"What's so great about him?"

"Just look at him. Everything. Absolutely everything is wonderful about him. He's beautiful," she sighed. "I could definitely get hooked on this show."

"Alright, teenage school girl, what's happening?"

"Dean and Sam are checking out an abandoned asylum for a supernatural creature."

"That's your synopsis?" I stated in a monotone.

"Shh," she growled.

I backed off and settled in to watching. I didn't understand what was going on and I had the feeling that ninety percent of the viewers of this show were female because other than the gore and occasional spurt of violence, I couldn't understand why a man would ever watch this. When the episode ended, I turned to her and utilized my puppy dog eyes on full power. "Can we please watch something else?"

"No way in hell! This is amazing! I've having fun, Klaus. Can't you let me have a moment of..." she paused, glancing down at her pocket. "My phone's buzzing," she whispered. "What do I do?"

"Answer it," I sighed. "What else are you going to do?"

"But what am I supposed to say?"

"Harness the energy you used earlier. Say the same thing in a different way if you want."

"Right," she replied. I took the opportunity to steal the remote from her lax grip and change the channel to some generic sports event that I didn't actually care about much, but it was better then what we had been watching.

"Tyler," she crooned into the phone. I tried desperately to ignore the conversation but I couldn't help listening to her replies.

"Yes. Yes. Of course I'll see you. Where've you been? That's not an answer. I'll expect some answers, Tyler. I do. I really do. Fine, I love him. Happy? Yep. Sounds good. Georgia. Okay. Tomorrow it is. See ya. Bye."

"Where are we going?"

"We're driving back to Virginia tomorrow. That's where he ran to right when I told him you were with me apparently."

"So he's in Mystic Falls?"

"You got it," she sighed. "I expect he felt safest there at this point."

"Can I drive this time?"

"Hell no!" she smiled, pushing me lightly in the shoulder. "Maybe if I'm tired."

*Please review, my dears. I want to know what you guys are thinking and I'll take any plot ideas or anything. Thank you so much for reading. I love you all. :)


	11. Chapter 11

We were back in Virginia quicker than I wanted to be and I had to keep reminding myself this was to get Tyler back and not to actually tell him how amazing I was. We pulled up to the park in Mystic Falls and saw Tyler standing by himself in the middle, glancing down at his phone anxiously. We weren't even late. What was his problem?

Caroline put the car in park but she didn't jump out and run at Tyler as I had been expecting. "No matter what happens, Klaus, I want you to know I care about you. So don't leave me. Ever."

I took a deep breath, wishing I had any other response available since it was going to be hard to keep but I couldn't imagine saying anything else because the end result would be a smile. "I promise, love."

Then she hopped out of the car and rushed at Tyler. I exited the car as well, but much slower, and sauntered over in their direction, trying to maintain some remnants of the scheme. I wasn't sure what Tyler would do if he became suspicious.

I heard the slap of skin meeting skin and saw red rise to Tyler's left cheek in the shape of a blurry hand. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in close. I glanced away toward the swing set in the distance where children were playing and noticed a man standing in the bushes. My senses automatically perked up with the rush of adrenaline in my system and I furiously scanned the remainder of the park and noticed five other similar bodies around the park. We were surrounded. Correction, I was surrounded.

I went up to Caroline in the hope I could get what I noticed across to her at some point but the anticipated conversation took off right when I arrived.

"Klaus, seriously?" Tyler directed at Caroline.

"What did you expect Tyler? You disappeared. You left me. Why did you do that?"

"I needed some time to sort out some things."

"Some things?" Caroline whispered patronizingly.

Tyler pointedly stared at me and I rolled my eyes right back at him. "I would leave," I growled. "But I noticed you had some friends."

"What are you talking about?" Tyler asked.

"Okay," Caroline began, "I don't know what's been going on but if it helps you to know that this was all a lie just so I could draw you out. I'm not sure you deserve to know that, so are you going to back off? There's not a contest Tyler."

"That's a relief," Tyler sighed, "I guess you won't mind then."

"Mind what?"

Tyler nodded in a gesture sort of way and I gripped Caroline's arm spinning her around to the various men stationed all throughout the park. They were fast approaching and would soon be on me and I'd be dead. Caroline whispered furiously to Tyler but I couldn't hear a word, all I could hear was a booming in my ears. Then they were here and I crashed to the ground, five men on top of me. I managed to fight their mouths, a bite would've been fatal, away and keep them mostly at bay but I wouldn't be able to for much longer. It was simply too many body parts to keep track of. I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes, accepting my fate as best I could. Only a coward would scream and be afraid of death after he'd lived multiple lifetimes.

I felt Caroline place her fingers on my temple and I heard Tyler call of his men. I opened my eyes and saw Caroline's eyes flicking to the various scratches all over my body, checking for bites.

"I'm good," I rasped.

"No you're not. Tyler, what the hell?"

"Get out of the way, Caroline."

"No! You're going to have to kill me if you want to kill him. And I'll take as many of your bastard men along with me."

"Don't you trust me?"

"No, I don't. What happened to you, Tyler? I told you Klaus wasn't a problem and the first conclusion you reached was that he was because he like flirting with me. You didn't take the time to realize it was one-sided or that I was completely devoted to you and I supported all of your decisions. And this entire time you've been plotting to kill Klaus behind my back. Did you even come here to get me back or was it all because you knew Klaus was with me?"

Tyler didn't say a word. Caroline grew dismayed and reached her hand out to mine and helped me up. She retained possession of my hand and pulled me away without looking back.

"Why didn't you punch him?"

"He wasn't worth it."

"Oh come on," I said, "He must have been. You've loved him for years. There's no way betrayal like that wasn't worth a punch."

"You're right," Caroline whispered. "But I didn't feel like he was worth it for some reason. I just didn't want to look at him."

I didn't say anything in reply pretty sure every response running through my head would result in a similar hatred from Caroline. They were all a little too soon after the break up. At least, I assumed they were over. Who ever knew when it came to Caroline.

She sidled into the passenger seat and I stared at her awkwardly. She leaned over to roll down the window on the driver's side and smiled weakly. "Could you drive me home?"

"Of course, Caroline." I got behind the wheel. The keys were already in the ignition so all I had to do was pull out into traffic. I pressed the gas a too aggressively and overshot the turn a bit and Caroline sat up right away nervously. "Maybe this was a bad idea," she murmured.

"I almost got it," I said with clenched teeth, barely missing a mailbox and screeching to a halt at a stop sign. Caroline's reached over and gripped my knee hard as though she could somehow control how I was driving. Funnily enough, it seemed to help because I started to figure out how the car responded and managed to get us to Caroline's house in one piece and her car too. She exhaled loudly and gave me a hug across our seats.

I hugged her back and let go quickly, figuring it was one of those hugs, but before I knew what was happening, I could feel my shirt and the skin beneath becoming wet and Caroline's body convulsing. I wrapped her in my arms and stroked her hair. I didn't try to silence her or even calm her down because I felt she needed to get everything out.

When Caroline finally pulled away she smiled blearily at me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"You really are the best, Klaus. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I'm not. It's just for you. I probably deserve the crap from everyone else."

"Well, then I'm glad you're in love with me."

"Great," I said. "I'm gonna go. Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine. Maybe you should stay with me. What if Tyler comes to get you? I'm not sure if I could cope if you died right now."

"I have Rebekah. She'll protect me. And if it helps in any way, which I doubt because it's probably too soon, but I love you, so don't be discouraged. You're not alone. You have someone who is just as alone as you feel right now."

"Thanks."

"I'll see you later, Caroline."

"I'm counting on it."


	12. Chapter 12

"I'm home," I shouted into our mansion as I was slipping off my jacket and hanging it up. Rebekah came rushing down the stairs and flung her arms around my neck.

"I don't think I've had as many hugs in my life as I've had today," I said.

"I'm just glad you're alive."

"Caroline told you."

"Yeah," Rebekah replied, "She called just now. She was warning me that Tyler might come around and I best be ready. I don't know how you did it, brother, but she really likes you all of a sudden. Like a lot."

"I must not be completely hopeless."

"Do you need anything? A massage? Some water? Whatever you want."

"Stop hovering, Bekah. I'm fine, really. I'm just gonna go take a shower and then go to bed. It's been a long day."

Rebekah pouted but didn't try to resist as I trudged up the stairs to my bathroom. I set the water running, undressed, and looked at myself in the mirror. I poked and prodded at the various scratches, some deeper than others and more painful, and realized how lucky I'd been. Just one little lack of concentration and I would've been a dead man. I sunk to the floor at this realization, breathing rapidly. My dead heart felt like it was about to hop out of my chest and dance to it's own not really beat. It ached. I couldn't think straight. All I could see was Tyler's smirking face and vicious mounds of teeth coming after me as I laid helpless on the ground, unable to protect myself. At this point I was struggling for breath, which was stupid because I didn't even need it, and felt paralyzed from the neck down. I glanced around, gripping the sink counter tight, and yelled out for Rebekah. Did I need help? Probably not, but it sure as hell felt like it. It felt like I was dying.

Rebekah burst through the door and knelt down on the ground beside me. She cupped my face in her hands and stared into my eyes. "I need you to breath, Niklaus. In and out. In..." she paused for a few seconds, "Out. In...out." I tried to breath in rhythm with her. It was difficult, practically impossible at first, but after a while I was able to match her and my heart stopped hurting. I began saying the words with her and she smiled. "Good work. Now get into the shower, so I can stop seeing you naked. I didn't ever want to."

I laughed shakily and shooed her out before using the counter to help me up and stumbling carefully over to the shower. The hot water rinsed the sweat clean and I took a deep breath, enjoying the feeling. I hadn't ever appreciated breathing as much as I did in that moment. The water ran cold in minutes, though, because most of the tank had been used while I was having whatever the hell that was, so I finished up faster than I intended and exited to my room where I shuffled through my dresser pulling out some black jeans, underwear and a blue top.

I ruffled up my hair with my towel before hanging up to dry and going downstairs where Rebekah was reading a book and eating pistachios with a glass of blood.

"That can't possibly be a good combination."

"You're right. It isn't," she laughed. "But I have a weakness for pistachios. It's one food I almost have to eat even though I don't, if that makes any sense."

"Sure it does, at least the not needing to eat part."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. What was that?"

"Not sure. Panic attack probably."

"Fabulous. Just what I need. More problems."

"Oh shut up. Welcome to life."

I smiled, glad she started sounding like herself again and poured myself a glass of bourbon from the desk drawer. I glanced up to see Rebekah peering up at me over her book and shot her a look. She flicked her eyes back to the page in a quarter of a second and pretended nothing had happened.

"What is it?" I sighed.

"I might have, I don't know, called Caroline."

"Oh for god's sake," I groaned. "Why would you ever do that?"

"I thought she deserved to know. If someone I cared about was having a panic attack I would want to know about it."

"You told her it was a panic attack?" I questioned furiously.

Rebekah nodded and grimaced up at me. "Sorry."

"You don't sound sorry."

"That's probably because I'm not."  
I rolled my eyes and pulled my phone from my jean's packet. I punched in the 2 and Caroline's number rolled up on the screen and dialed. The first ring hadn't even finished when Caroline answered the phone. "Klaus, thank god."

"Do panic attacks kill people?" I asked rhetorically.

"Well...no."

"No. So what's the problem? I'm fine. I'm not dead, not going to die, and don't plan on dying any time soon."

"I was just worried about you," she retorted childishly. "You don't have to be mean about it."

I exhaled loudly and said, "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry." I tried really hard to sound sincere.

"Do you want me to come over?"

"No, don't worry about it. I'm fine, I promise. Stop worrying. Just have a sleepover with Elena or something and forget about it. I'll see you soon. There's no need for you to drive over and check on me when we just saw each other."

"Whatever you say. But I want to see you tomorrow. Maybe this time we can go find Tyler and kill him."

"Come on, you don't want to kill Tyler. I understand you're mad at him but you would regret that forever."

"I just feel like he's ruined your life."

"Nah, he hasn't. I'll see you tomorrow, Caroline," I finished, trying desperately to end the conversation so I could go to bed and just sleep. Let everything fade into a distant memory.

"Yes I will. Bye Klaus."

"Goodnight, Caroline. Sweet dreams." I hung up before she could say something else and convince herself that she needed to see me. I'd found the longer you let her talk the more convinced she became that she was right despite any protestation from the other party.

"I'm off to bed."

"Night, Klaus. Wear some clothes, kay? I don't want you having another panic attack in the middle of the night naked. I might be heavily discouraged from coming to help you."

I laughed shortly and frustratedly as I was heading upstairs. He liked her better concerned about his welfare instead of the constant sass that he was usually accustomed too. But she was a Mikaelson after all.

The next morning I was lounging peacefully in bed with the covers up to my chin, my eyes closed, but groggily conscious. The lights were off and I was simply enjoying the warmth and the knowledge that I wouldn't have to leave bed if I didn't want to. I had the sense that it was early in the morning, since I didn't need much sleep but I wasn't going to move. That was my thought, anyways, until a rush of blonde opened my door, letting light stream in, and jumped up on my bed and flipped me over. I blinked slowly, allowing my eyes to adjust to the light and Caroline's face came into focus.

"Ugh," I groaned, turning away from her and rubbing my eyes before shutting them again and dutifully ignoring her.

"You look alright," she observed.

"No shit. I told you I was fine. You didn't have to come bursting in here. I was happy."

"And you aren't happy right now?"

"No not really," I moaned, trying to shift her off my body so I could roll onto my stomach.

"I thought you were always happy to see me?"

"Yeah, me too."

Caroline glowered down at me and swung her leg across my waist so I was unpinned. She curled up next to me, on top of the blankets and rested her head on my shoulder. "Well I'm happy to see you."

"Great. I wish I cared."

"God you're grumpy in the morning."

"What time is it, Blondie?"

"Shit, you sound like Damon." I said nothing so she sighed and glanced down at her phone, "It's seven."

"Too early."

"No it's not. You're just a wuss."

"Fine."

There was a long stretch of uncomfortable silence before I turned around to face her. My face ended up practically touching hers and I started in surprise. "You're awfully close," I whispered.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't realize," but she didn't move.

"Are you cold?" I asked, trying to say it like it was no big deal. But I really just wanted her under the covers.

She nodded minutely and I lifted up the covers, letting the cold air stream in briefly, before shutting her in. She wiggled up against me, her back to my chest. "I get it," she said.

"Get what?"

"Why you don't want to leave. This feels nice."

My arms were uncomfortably pinned at my sides but I didn't want to move them, afraid she would reject them. Afraid? I thought. What are you, a mouse? So I moved my left arm up and out before stringing it across her waist and pulling her in even tighter. She didn't even attempt to resist and stayed absolutely still. I shut my eyes once more, just to revel in the feeling of her body against mine.

"Klaus?" she whispered, maintaining the mood, "I've been thinking."

"Mmm," I murmured, wishing she would just shut up. Thinking was never a good idea. It just meant she was reviewing all the people I'd killed and determining I wasn't worth the effort. That she should be in Tyler's arms right now who wasn't as bad. Although, that wasn't as easy to justify anymore to be honest.

She flipped in my arms so she could see my face and wrapped her arms around my neck. "A lot can change in a few days."

"Stop quoting me."

She laughed and glanced down at my chest, "I don't love Tyler anymore. I can't love somebody who's that power-hungry and cruel. I frankly can't imagine ever seeing him again. It would just make me sick."

And I was worse than Tyler. Great. This conversation was already going swimmingly.

"You should tell him that," I yawned.

"I'm telling you."

"Why?"

"Because I care about you Klaus. More than I ever thought possible. And I think...I think it might mean that you'll finally get what you've always wanted. What you haven't been able to stop thinking about. Frankly, that's one of the reasons you're getting it."

"And what's that?"

"Me."

I flicked open my eyes and gazed into hers. "Are you sure you know what you're saying? I'm power-hungry and cruel. I haven't treated any of your friends in the right way and I can hardly go a day without snapping someone's neck. I have huge anger issues, I don't even really think I deserve you, and everyone I've ever loved ends up hurt and usually by me.

"Yeah," she granted, "But you're more than that. You let Tyler come back despite every fiber in your body. You've always protected me, even now when you're probably not as strong as me. Most of my friends actually probably deserved what they got because nobody has treated you right either. The reason you kill people is because you care too much. You feel too much. And that tells me you can change. Hell, you already have. Tyler, when I saw him, I knew right away he wasn't ever going to be the old Tyler ever gone. He'd gone too far to the dark side."  
"This isn't Star Wars."

"No, but it's an appropriate metaphor."

"You really mean all that?" I whispered.

She took my face in her hands and laughed. "Yeah, I do. You are important to me Klaus. You're important to someone. You matter. Don't ever think any different. When I say that I want to be with you I mean I want to be with you and it's because I like who you are as a person."

I couldn't help smiling and brushed my thumb across her cheek and fiddled with her hair. I stared at her smiling lips and watched them form the words, "Klaus you're embarrassing yourself."

"Can I kiss you?"

She leaned into me and brushed her lips against mine, before pulling away slightly. "Yes," she whispered.

I crashed down against her like the waves do the shore and brought my lips to hers. She flicked her tongue out and swiped it against my lower lip. I inhaled sharply before cautiously bringing my tongue into her mouth and exploring. My hands went down to the small of her back and her's rested gently on my chest before sliding slowly down towards my jean's button. Warmth pooled in the lower part of stomach and she brought her hands underneath my shirt and felt out my muscles, making them ripple. I didn't move my hands once, but I did break the kiss and closed mouth kissed up and down her neck and collarbone. She threw her head back to allow better access and looked to be in ecstasy. I shifted back to her mouth, to give it some attention and end the kiss. I didn't know how far she wanted to go, but I wasn't sure how far I wanted to go either so I thought it was best if we just stopped. I lightly pecked her mouth and pulled away, flipping her over and holding her against my chest once more. She nuzzled in and turned her head to give me a kiss of thanks on the neck.

"You're beautiful," I said. I'd just kissed the most beautiful girl in the world. How did I ever get to be so lucky.

Please remember to review! I love you guys...hope you guys liked it.


	13. Chapter 13

Do you guys have any ideas where this story could go? I really want to keep going but I feel like that was an almost perfect ending...it might just need one finalizing chapter but I want it to go on longer. I need some inspiration. Any ideas are welcome. :)

I love you guys!


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